Scope and Purpose
The goal of the Education Workgroup is to have every student in the region graduate environmentally literate having participated in meaningful watershed educational experiences in elementary, middle, and high school that were supported by teachers who have received professional development in environmental education and schools that are models of environmental sustainability. The Education Workgroup provides a forum for cross-jurisdictional coordination and support on all aspects of environmental education with an emphasis on:
- Increasing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) and other place-based, outdoor education
- Supporting training for teachers and environmental education professionals in content, pedagogy, and outdoor-learning techniques related to environmental topics
- Encouraging green infrastructure and operations on school grounds
- Supporting federal, state, and regional environmental literacy planning, including providing an ongoing forum to collaborate on the goals and objectives of the federal Executive Order and the nonprofit community Regional Roundtable.
The Education Workgroup is tasked with evaluating and recommending policies related to PK-12 bay education, maintaining the Bay Backpack website, and tracking state implementation of the MWEE in elementary, middle, and high school. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office also convenes a biennial Environmental Literacy Summit on behalf of the Workgroup to advance environmental literacy activities in the region.
Projects and Resources
Environmental Literacy Summit
The mid-Atlantic region is leading the nation in implementing sound policy that ensures our students will graduate environmentally literate citizens. To advance environmental literacy activities in the region, the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office convenes a biennial Environmental Literacy Summit on behalf of the Workgroup. These summits provide an important forum for dialogue, collaboration, and coordination between federal, state, and non-governmental leaders about the future of environmental and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the mid-Atlantic region.
-
Proceedings from the 2011 Environmental Literacy Summit in Chevy Chase, Maryland (155.31 KB)
-
Proceedings from the 2009 Education Summit in Flintstone, Maryland (161.17 KB)
-
Proceedings from the 2007 Education Summit in Williamsburg, Virginia (44.04 KB)
-
Proceedings from the 2005 Education Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (78.36 KB)
Publications
-
An Educator’s Guide To The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)
An Educator’s Guide to the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is an easy-to-use manual for constructing high-quality educational experiences for all students. Our hope is that this guide is used by teachers and...
-
June 06, 2012
Mid-Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmental Literacy Strategy Executive Summary
Managers are making tremendous progress identifying and tackling environmental issues facing the Chesapeake Bay. However, many of the remaining challenges to a healthier ecosystem are complex, diffuse, and directly in the hands of...
-
June 06, 2012
Mid-Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmental Literacy Strategy
Managers are making tremendous progress identifying and tackling environmental issues facing the Chesapeake Bay. However, many of the remaining challenges to a healthier ecosystem are complex, diffuse, and directly in the hands of...